Hello Teachers!
*Recently, I saw a post asking for barre combinations, and I saw someone asking if we should make a sticky/thread. So here is one!* Please Post your own combos! We need a helpful thread for resources!
If my combos seem to not make much since, please feel free to PM me!
For beginning ballet classes plie and tendu combos:

1.)Plies - Starting in 1st position, 2 demi plies, 1 grande, tendu to second, 2 demis 1 grande, tendu 4th, repeat plies, tendu to 5th.

2.) Grande Plies - 1st position. Grande plie, port de bras, rise to releve, grande plie. Repeat in all positions.

3.) Tendus/Degegge - Face Bar. 8 tendus right, 8 left, 4 right, 4 left, 2 right, 2 left, 1 right, 1 left. Repeat starting with left foot.

4.) Tendu/Degegge - (1st or 5th positions) 3 tendu front, demi plie, 3 side demi plie, 3 back, plie, rise to releve.
The first time the students execute this combo, they should have their arm in second. After they get the feet down, add arms.



-PrimaBallerine-

Sounds good.

Since I get to teach a lot of recreational classes and some are not full-length and only 60 minutes, I have to find a way to combine exercises...

Demi & Grand Plié in 3/4 or 6/8 time - Start in 1st, prep arms 1st to 2nd.
Demi plié down (1,2,3) as arm drops to en bas, stretch out of plié (4,5,6) as arm goes through 1st to 2nd).
Repeat
Grand Plié down 1-6), arm goes to en bas, stretch out of plié, arm goes from 1st to 2nd
Tendu to 2nd and repeat all above in 2nd, 4th, 5th
Grand port de bras from forward, only, 1-12
Sous sous, arms 3rd en haut elongé

I will put more in later. I have to go change a diaper. LOL

<b>Warm up exercise</b>
Level: Adv-beg to Adv

Facing barre standing in 1st position.
4 count introduction, breath arms, then place on the barre
Tendu devant (slow - working through the demi-pointe) 2 counts (using epaulement - head towards working foot), close 2 counts, (return head to center)
Tendu derriere 2 counts, (head over supporting foot) close 2 counts (head returns to center)
2 Tendus a la seconde - 1-4
1 Tendu a la seconde on count 5, lower heel in 2nd position count 6, slide the foot back to first position working the inner thighs on counts 7 and 8.

Repeat all with the left foot.

Demi-plie 1, lift the heels 2, stretch the legs 3, hold 4, slowly roll down, squeezing the inner thighs and working the turnout 5-8.
Repeat

Right arm port de bra 2nd to 5th en haut 2 counts, side bend 2 counts, recover 2 count, port de bra bring arm back to the barre 2 counts, repeat to other side.

Rise and balance, arms 5th en avant. Close.

I am reposting this combo:

starting L hand on barre..
degage front 4x (cnts 1-4) battement pique side 3x (cnts 5-7) close 5th back on (cnt 8). degage back 4x (cnts 1-4) battement pique side 3x (cnts 5-7) close 5th front on (cnt 8). degage en croix f, s, b, s, f, s, b, s (8 cnts). pique f, s, b (cnts 1-3) brush through first (cnt 4) pique front (cnt 5) (rotate hips to barre as fouette leg side) pique side (cnt 6) (fouette leg back, hips turn to 2nd side) pique back (cnt 7) close 5th back (cnt 8). If that all makes sense, then you will already be facing the second side with R hand on barre ready for other side!

Hope this all makes sense, I have been using this combo for at least 5 years and all my kids so far have enjoyed it!


Will def. be coming back to this thread often!!

All those combinations looked great.. !
thanks for posting them

Here is a link for a great list of combos!
www.susankramer.com . . .

Here is a link for a great list of combos!
www.susankramer.com . . .

More Combos
* Ronds de jambe par a terre.

Starting in 5th position-
2 rond de jambs en dehors, 1 rond de jambs en dehors in plie
Repeat, 1 rond de jamb an dehors in releve.
Rise to retire, and balance.

Repeat en dedans

* Battement Frappes

2x frappe devant
3x frappe a la seconde
2x frappe derriere
3x frappe a la seconde
Rise to releve, double frappe en croie, go to retire, balance.
Repeat on other side.

For intermediate balletclass: Pliés

1) Start in first. Arm à la seconde, do a demi (arm first) while straightening the legs arm to fifth, demi again with arm to seconde. Grand plié (arm over first or fifth), demi again roll on half pointe, stretch the leg and hold balance for a moment. Go back to whole foot and penché forward.

2) Repeat in second, fourth and fifth but instead of the penché add a port de bras to the barre in second, a cambré in fourth and a port de bras away from the barre in fifth.

Tendues:

1) First position: One tendue forward (slow), back and plié while closing. To fast tendue forward, close. Demi plié, roll on demi pointe, stretch the legs, hold balance, lower heels.

3) Do in seconde and arabesque

4) again seconde but instead to the plié and the rolling on demi, t'eleve to the side and close. The student is now standing away from the barre. Repeat the exercise with the other leg (the one that is closer to the barre.

Advanced plies

In 2nd position grande plie arm an dehor, repeat plie arm en dedan stretch away from the barre and to the barre. Repeat in 1st with stretch forward, demi plie while in penche, stretch the knees, and rolling up through the spine. IN 4th 2 demi plies, chasse en avant lunge forward, recover, temp lie back, cambre back. In 5th 2 grande plies, stretch forward to the floor, rise and balance

I will be adding more to this thread. Can we start one for center and across the floor combos too?

Center and Across the Floor Sounds great. I'll start one. Please help by contributing your combos!

Battement Degages - Intermediate level

From 5th position
3 degages devant
1 degage a la seconde
3 degages derriere
1 degage a la seconde
Degage a la seconde close 1st position, degage side close 5th derriere, degage side close 1st, degage side close 5th devant, degage side close 5th derriere, degage side close 5th devant, degage side close 5th derriere. Hold then reverse the exercise.

Alternately you could have the students perform the exercise facing the barre and instead of reversing the exercise begin the exercise with the left foot.

This ballet blog has lots of combinations for ballet and pointe class on it. Also a book available from Amazon.com.
insideballet.com

Thank you for posting the links as well ladies. They reminded me of things I was forgetting.

Warm up Tendu - intermediate to advanced

From 1st position.
Tendu devant, flex the foot, pointe close 1st.
Tendu devant, close in demi-plie 5th, tendu devant stretching the legs, close 1st.
Tendu devant lower the heel in 4th, tendu close 1st.
Tendu devant, close 1st, tendu devant close 1st.
Repeat en croix

Kids love this one. It makes them think which is always good.
Face the barre in first position for degages.

For part one the pattern is (2,1,1,2,1,1)
so degage side R, R, L, R, L, L, R, L

Part two is (1,1,2,1,1,2)
so you degage side R, L, R, R, L, R, L, L

First time go slow so they can get the combination. Then speed it up for a challenge.

Ooo I like your 2,1,1,2,1,1 pattern. My kids like this one because it makes them use their heads:

Tendus in the center from 5th

2 tendus devont (R)
2 tendus a la seconde (R-closing in front)
2 tendus derriere (L)
2 tendus a la seconde (R-closing in back)

Repeat Left side

Right arm works with left a la seconde for the first half and change to L when starting tendu L devont.

Tendus:

Tendu front close, front demi pointe then pointe close, front flex pointe close, Side close, side demi pointe then pointe close, side flex pointe close. Repeat to back then side again.

Im not sure if this makes sense to anyone or not but not only are you doing tendus but stretching the muscles in the foot. Make sure when students are going from demi pointe then close they are only moving the foot not the leg, hip or knee. Same for flexing the foot.

I guess I'll contribute a grand allegro. This is for an advanced class.

Begin in B plus arms en bas in the upstage left corner traveling to the downstage right.

1: Tombe onto the right leg, pas de bourre
2: temps leve with the right leg in retire
3: step, cabriole derriere
4: step, temps leve with the right leg in retire
5: step, temps leve in 1st arabesque (left leg up)
6: step, glissade right
7: grand pas de chat
8: pique 1st arabesque (left leg up)
1: left chasse back toward beginning corner
2: saut de basque
3: coupe
4: assemble battu
5: tombe left, pas de bourre (traveling to downstage left corner)
6: glissade left
7: saut de chat left
8: chasse releve in attitude derriere (right leg up)

I like this thread! I will try to contribute more later. What kinds of exercises are people interested in?

Here are two blogs that I've found that both post ballet combos. The first posts just the combos and the second posts entire classes. The writer does post them in ballet short-hand, so you have to kind of decifer it. They have both been really inspiring to me when I'm just stuck for something a little different. I think they are both great and they have a lot of other good info too.

www.insideballet.com

www.balletpages.blogspot.com

This is great for those days when I'm too tired or lazy to think of something new, lol!

A little spiral journal keeps my combinations. I'll share my favorite Rond de Jambe Excuse the shorthand, hahah.

(5th)
~1/4 RdJ d'hors FSB, close 1st- 4cts
~T devant/1 - RdJ d'hors hold derrier/2 - cloche T devant/3 - RdJ d'hors hold derrier/4
~1/4 RdJ d'hors FSB, close 1st- 4cts
~3 RdJ d'hors, ellonge- 4cts

~Reverse en Dedans. Total 16cts

~En croix. Developpe. 16cts.

~Sousou, PtB front/roll up/back. 8cts

~Croise to barre, tendu back leg/deep lunge in 4th. 4cts
~Come up, back bend. 4cts.

~Stay in lunge, (prep for attitude turns) arms come to low 3rd, then releve attitude.

Hopefully you understand that last bit. I use this combo to get the students ready for arabesque/attitude turns or even promenades.

I have a nice complimentary center exercise too that I can post

CHEERS~

This is awesome!!! I don't have my notes with me, so I'll post what I can from memory
Tendu or dégagé
Adding epaulement and port de bras makes this one super hard especially done fast
Starting fifth r foot front
Tendu front r
Tendu back l
Tendu side r close back
Tendu front with indisde foot now left
Reverse
So tendu back r
Tendu front l tendu side close front r
Tendu back with left
The two tendu front, two tendu back, side r, l, r pile on four all close under.

Reverse the whol combination now starting to back, the last three tends should go over
Hope that makes sense. Yu can do this as a dégagé as well!

This is a great thread, thanks for all of the information and links! I'm excited to try some of these out!

I use this fondu combination with my intermediate ballet class to help with arabesque (getting the hip down) and promenade.

(Starting in 5th)
Front: Fondu, extend front, touch down to the floor and lift back up (pique), brush through first position back into arabesque and close back.
Back: Reverse what you just did.
Side: Fondu, extend side, touch down to the floor and lift back up (pique), flip over to face the barre in arabesque, promenade in arabesque to the other side.

Keep going on the left side without stopping the music. I will usually have them do a balance once they get back to the first side — either an attitude front, or leg extended low in front. Then they start the whole combination over again, starting with the left leg.